Key Takeaways
- The Florida Bar placed IT employee Kade McLendon on administrative leave while investigating allegations that he sent racist, homophobic, and violent threats to Miami football player Damon Wilson II.
- The Bar called the messages “ethically and morally reprehensible” and said they violated its employee social media policy, while promising to protect McLendon’s due process rights.
- Wilson posted the exchange after Miami’s 43–35 double-overtime win over Florida State, captioning it, “Glimpse into the life of a black student athlete.”
The Florida Bar has placed Kade McLendon on administrative leave while investigating allegations that he sent racist messages and threats to University of Miami football player Damon Wilson II. The organization confirmed the employee’s identity after Wilson posted the Instagram exchange following Miami’s victory over Florida State. In its latest statement, the Bar condemned the messages and said they violated its employee social media policy.
“The Florida Bar has put employee Kade McLendon on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing,” a spokesman told The Palm Beach Post. “The messages in question are not only ethically and morally reprehensible but also violate our internal social media policy for employees.”
The spokesman said the organization would also enforce its policies while protecting due process rights.
McLendon is a Florida State graduate whose LinkedIn profile listed him as a computer technician at The Florida Bar since June 2024, according to the report.
A screenshot of that profile circulated alongside Wilson’s post. The Florida Bar is the organization that regulates lawyers under the Florida Supreme Court; McLendon’s listed position was in IT support.
Before naming him, the Bar had acknowledged investigating messages “possibly sent from an employee’s social media account.”
Wilson shared the screenshot with the caption, “Glimpse into the life of a black student athlete.” The exchange showed repeated racial and homophobic slurs, wishes of sexual violence against him, and threats to beat and kill members of his family. One message read, “You’re the type of people that should be forced to the back of the bus.”
The messages followed Miami’s 43–35 double-overtime win over Florida State at Hard Rock Stadium on October 17. The Hurricanes scored a touchdown and converted a two-point attempt in the second overtime, then stopped the Seminoles to finish the game. Miami improved to 6–0 and subsequently reached No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2002.
Wilson, a senior defensive lineman, joined Miami this year after playing at Georgia and Missouri. He earned second-team All-SEC honors at Missouri in 2025, recording nine sacks, and entered this season on the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list for college football’s outstanding defensive player.
USA TODAY Network-Florida said it left him messages seeking comment but had not received a reply as of press time.
